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Wobbly Engine


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#1 JamesMiniMealor

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 06:39 PM

The engine moves a lot! I knew it wasn't my crappy gear changes. 

 

I grabbed the rocker cover and gave it a little wiggle and the whole engine block moved back and forth. There looks to be about 1cm of play in the steady bar on the left side of the engine.

 

What can be done? It's not serious is it...?

 

The polyflex things are all newish



#2 robminibcy

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 06:53 PM

replace the bushes again im afraid! Also check the engine mounts and the sub frame mounts are ok, if these are moving excessively it adds extra strain on the steady bushes. I've tries both rubber and poly and neither seemed to last very long. Some people have recommended to try poly at the bulkhead and rubber at the engine but to be honest I think it's just another example of shoddy parts that need regular replacement. It's not mega serious but excessive movement puts stress of other parts like the exhaust, possibly the wiring and if very bad you could hit the carb on the bulkhead.



#3 JamesMiniMealor

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 07:06 PM

replace the bushes again im afraid! Also check the engine mounts and the sub frame mounts are ok, if these are moving excessively it adds extra strain on the steady bushes. I've tries both rubber and poly and neither seemed to last very long. Some people have recommended to try poly at the bulkhead and rubber at the engine but to be honest I think it's just another example of shoddy parts that need regular replacement. It's not mega serious but excessive movement puts stress of other parts like the exhaust, possibly the wiring and if very bad you could hit the carb on the bulkhead.

 

Really? Those bushes didn't last long then. It just looks as though the steady bar is too long.



#4 matt050990

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 07:16 PM

There are some really crap chappy bushes out there so worth spending the dough and getting some good quality rubber ones.

#5 brivinci

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Posted 08 March 2017 - 03:31 PM

The general state of rubber and rubber-like products these days is appalling. I can't even begin to list out all the items that have perished in wickedly short order. Its sad really.

 

The engine steady being longer or shorter makes no difference. All it does is hold the motor in a fixed place. If it was longer, the motor would just be tilted more towards the front of the car. The fact that there is movement means that the bushes are bad or the bolts are loose. While rocking it, have a REALLY close look at both ends of the steady. It could be loose at the bulkhead or there could be rust on the bulkhead, allowing the steady to move about.

 

Not sure about the MPi cars, but the SPi care also have a steady attached from the gearbox to the front of the subframe. Check that as well. I used the upgraded bushings that Mini Spares sell (require a bit of drilling) in the lower and a rubber/poly combo at the top and my motor is solid.



#6 RooBoonix

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Posted 08 March 2017 - 07:41 PM

Another option is to add even more engine steadies, be it from the water pump to the bulkhead, the thermostat to bulkhead or gearbox to subframe (all of these types are readily available) in order to distribute the stress of the engine movement through multiple steadies in the hope to make each one last longer.



#7 mini13

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Posted 08 March 2017 - 09:24 PM

Don't use poly, use the rubber one peice mpi bush, or the uprated version that minispares do.

#8 JamesMiniMealor

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Posted 20 March 2017 - 09:37 PM

The general state of rubber and rubber-like products these days is appalling. I can't even begin to list out all the items that have perished in wickedly short order. Its sad really.

 

The engine steady being longer or shorter makes no difference. All it does is hold the motor in a fixed place. If it was longer, the motor would just be tilted more towards the front of the car. The fact that there is movement means that the bushes are bad or the bolts are loose. While rocking it, have a REALLY close look at both ends of the steady. It could be loose at the bulkhead or there could be rust on the bulkhead, allowing the steady to move about.

 

Not sure about the MPi cars, but the SPi care also have a steady attached from the gearbox to the front of the subframe. Check that as well. I used the upgraded bushings that Mini Spares sell (require a bit of drilling) in the lower and a rubber/poly combo at the top and my motor is solid.

 

The movement is where the engine connects to the steady. It is able to move backwards and forwards somehow. The bolt seems to be very tight already so I don't want to sheer it. 

 

I really don't see how it can be the bushes. They were replaced and within a day or two the engine was wobbly again (maybe the problem was never fixed and I just didn't immediately notice.)



#9 cian

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 07:25 AM

Did you fit the metal spacer piece between the bush and the block when fitting bushes?

#10 minisilverbullet

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Posted 21 March 2017 - 07:31 AM

Has the bracket at the bulkhead end broken loose?



#11 JamesMiniMealor

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Posted 22 March 2017 - 01:59 AM

I did not personally fit the bushes. 

 

The steady is solid at the bulkhead



#12 cian

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Posted 22 March 2017 - 04:47 PM

Check if the spacer washer is present

#13 MacGyver

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Posted 22 March 2017 - 07:19 PM

My mpi did the same to me.
Poly bush basically disintegrated on the block side of steady bar, not obvious at first glance but onece off it fell apart.
I have another mini with poly all over and never had an issue, ran on them for 10 years and are still good to go (but not the car...)
Use the original one piece rubber ones as the mpi's seems to destroy poly.

Ben

Edited by MacGyver, 22 March 2017 - 07:19 PM.


#14 GraemeC

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Posted 23 March 2017 - 09:00 AM

Did you fit the metal spacer piece between the bush and the block when fitting bushes?

 

I'm confused what you mean by this?

Do you mean the flat oval piece with two holes in it - only used up to about 1970 (and with a different bracket) as I can't think of anything else that goes between bush and block?



#15 cian

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Posted 23 March 2017 - 11:19 AM

Yes was discontinued but there is a flat "2p " washer in place, had a customer come with this same problem poly bush chewed up within days replaced the bushings with the washer and no trouble since, I believe it spaces out the steady but I may be wrong, but I am giving you first hand experience that it worked in this occasion

Edited by cian, 23 March 2017 - 11:24 AM.





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